Redress of Grievances (2 page)

Phyllis
opened the door, and Harriett stood as Alexis Dunne entered the office. A tall,
slender woman, she seemed to glide effortlessly into the room.

"Is
there anything you need, Ms. Markham?" Phyllis asked.

"No,
thank you, Phyllis, unless Ms. Dunne would like something to drink?"

"I
wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, if it's not too much trouble." Alexis
smiled at Phyllis. If anything, Alexis was more stunning than Harriett
remembered. After eleven years, the only difference in her appearance was a
slight graying at the temples of her short, dark hair, giving her a decidedly
distinguished appearance. Even her hair was styled the same way Harriett
remembered, sweeping across her forehead, tapered along her neckline and cut
over her ears to reveal small gold hoop earrings. She was casually dressed in
tan corduroy slacks and a brown sweater.

"How
do you take your coffee, Ms. Dunne?" Phyllis asked.

"One
teaspoon of sugar and plenty of cream," Harriett answered before Alexis
could reply.

Phyllis
looked questioningly at her employer as she left the office. Alexis waited
until the door was closed before turning her head toward Harriett.

"Nice
office," she smiled. "Very homey. Very you."

"It
meets my needs."

"May
I?" Alexis asked, pointing to a chair across from Harriett's desk.

"Of
course."

Leaning
back in the chair, Alexis crossed her legs and glanced around the office.

"What
can I do for you, Alex?" Harriett asked.

"I
have a case I'd like to refer to you."

"Really?"

"It's
a criminal case, and I know you're the right attorney to handle it."

"Have
you given up criminal practice?"

"No,
but I can't take this one." Alex shrugged. "Conflict of
interest."

"So
why am I the lucky attorney you want to palm it off on? Winston and Dunne must
have a dozen excellent criminal associates."

"This
client needs your particular expertise, Harriett. It's a very delicate case.
However, Winston and Dunne is prepared to provide whatever support you might
need."

Their
conversation was interrupted as Phyllis returned with a mug of coffee and set
it on a small table next to Alex's chair. Smiling the smile that Harriett had
seen many times, Alex picked up the cup and took a sip.

"Perfect,"
she purred, looking at Phyllis.

As
soon as Phyllis left the office, Harriett leaned forward slightly.

"I'm
afraid I wouldn't be interested in taking on a case that would take me away
from Austin, Alex. I have too many cases pending here."

"I'm
prepared to offer you the use of our corporate jet, which would allow you to
move more easily between Austin and Dallas."

"This
must be some case," Harriett said as she pushed light brown hair back from
her face and took a deep breath.

"It
is. What I'd like to propose, Harriett, is that you meet this evening with the
client's brother. He has suggested dinner where you would be able to ask him
whatever questions you need to about the case."

"I'd
really like to help you out, Alex, but-"

"Don't
turn the case down before you talk to the gentleman tonight."

"Is
he the conflict of interest you mentioned?"

"Yes.
He's engaged to my sister, Paige. She's a legislative assistant to State
Senator Parker Collins. They became engaged over the Thanksgiving
holidays."

"And
the accused is...?"

"His
sister. The Senator believes she would feel more comfortable with a female
attorney, and naturally, I thought of you. I agreed to contact you on behalf of
the family and arrange a meeting to discuss the case."

"There
are hundreds of good attorneys who would be much more delighted than I to
receive a referral like this."

"He
wants you, Harriett," Alex said firmly. "He's aware of your excellent
reputation."

"Uh,
huh. Why can't he come here?"

"He
prefers to meet outside your office. I can warn you that this will probably be
a very high profile case. Potentially a media circus. He doesn't want people
following him around to see what he's going to do."

"It
sounds like I'm preparing to make a drug buy."

"It's
not quite that bad," Alex chuckled, sipping her coffee. "I'm
surprised you remembered. About the coffee."

"Just
one of those annoying miscellaneous pieces of trivia that seem to stick with
you," Harriett frowned. "Where and when?"

"Seven
at the Austin Country Club."

"I
suppose that means I'll have to wear something more appropriate than
this," she said looking down at her clothes.

"Only
if you feel you need to. I'll send a car for you."

"I
think I can find my way. Is there anything else?"

"No.
You can cover everything else this evening," Alex answered, setting her
cup down. "We'll see you about seven then?"

Harriett
stood and walked around the desk preparing to escort Alex to the door.

Alex
smiled as she glanced at Harriett's bare feet, "I seem to remember a
little piece of trivia myself. You still talk to yourself in the mirror,
too?"

"Sometimes,"
Harriett said, blushing slightly.

"I
can't tell you how much I appreciate this, Harriett," Alex said as she
followed her to the door. "And by the way, I saw you in court this
morning. You still have a special way of connecting with juries."

Chapter
Two

NO
ONE HAD ever accused Harriett of being a cheerful person. Pleasant maybe, but
she personally abhorred perpetually cheerful people. Looking through her
clothes, she couldn't have been any further from cheerful. Eventually, she
thought what the hell, and pulled out a sapphire silk slack suit. She had
already made up her mind to turn down the case but decided to hear what her
potential client's brother had to say. Time had not lessened the nagging sense
of loyalty she felt toward Alex and Winston and Dunne. A tap on her bedroom
door interrupted her thoughts.

"Aunt
Harriett?" a girl's voice said. "Can I come in?"

"Yes,
you
may,"
Harriett corrected as she pulled on a white blouse with a
ruffled front and began buttoning it.

A
teenage girl of eighteen stepped into the bedroom, her long blonde hair piled loosely
on top of her head. Plopping down on her aunt's bed, she said "Great suit!
Is it new?"

Harriett
smiled warmly at the girl. "No, I just haven't had a chance to wear it
lately."

"Hot
date?" the girl smiled back.

Looking
at herself in the mirror, Harriett said with a laugh, "I don't have hot
dates anymore, Lacey. I'm too busy worrying about
your
hot dates."

As
she caught her niece's face in the mirror, Harriett noticed the teenager's
uncanny resemblance to her father when he had been her age. She couldn't help
but be amazed that in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Lacey had, in fact,
become an attractive young woman and was at an age that could give any parent
ulcers from worrying.

"I
have a game tonight," Lacey said. "Will you be able to make it?"

"What
time is the game?" Harriett asked.

"Seven-thirty."

"I
wish you had told me sooner, sweetheart. I'll miss the first half, but I'll eat
as fast as I can. Okay?"

"Great,"
Lacey said as she sprang up from the bed.

"Lacey,"
she said as the girl reached the bedroom door.

"Yeah."

"I'm
sorry I've been so busy lately."

The
girl smiled at her. "I know how you are when you have a case. But you owe
me an obscenely lavish shopping spree for my infinite patience," she said
dramatically.

A
FEW MINUTES before seven, Harriett stopped her midnight blue show truck in
front of the Austin Country Club. Looking around the parking lot, she noticed
there didn't seem to be an overabundance of trucks, and the parking attendant
looked around the expensive wood paneled interior as if he had just been beamed
aboard a flying saucer.

She
had never been to the Austin Country Club and was surprised by the pleasant,
understated atmosphere inside. Harriett had played golf once or twice when she
was younger, but somehow the idea of smacking a little dimpled ball around and
then walking after it all day had lacked an appeal for her. Too much exercise
for too little gratification. Alex, dressed in a gray, subtly pinstriped
business suit that showed off her well-defined, athletic body, strode across
the lobby toward Harriett.

"Let
me show you where we are," Alex greeted her, smiling warmly as her eyes
wandered over Harriett.

"Sorry
if I'm late," Harriett said.

"You're
not," Alex said as she rested her hand lightly in the small of Harriett's back
and escorted her toward a small room that adjoined the main dining area.

Sitting
at a table near the rear of the room, a man who appeared to be in his late
thirties or early forties stood as he saw Harriett and Alexis approach. Seated
next to him was a young woman whom Harriett assumed was Paige Dunne. Alexis's
sister had successfully blossomed from an awkward teenager into a beautiful
raven-haired woman.

"Parker,
allow me to introduce Harriett Markham," Alex said. "Harriett, State
Senator Parker Collins."

Harriett
extended her hand to the man. "Senator."

"And
although she's changed just a little since the last time you saw her, I'm sure
you remember my sister, Paige," Alex smiled, placing her hand gently on
the young woman's shoulder.

"She's
certainly changed. Much more beautiful than I remember." Harriett said as
she saw a pink flush travel up Paige's neck.

"I
hope you don't mind if I pre-ordered your dinner, Ms. Markham," Collins
said. "Alex told me you liked prime rib, medium rare."

Another
one of those annoying bits of trivia, Harriett thought as she glanced at Alex
out of the corner of her eye. She said, "That's fine, Senator."

"It's
not necessary to call me Senator, Ms. Markham," Collins said as she took
the seat across from him. "We should be on a first name basis if we're
both going to be involved in my sister's case."

"That
actually hasn't been decided yet. I've only agreed to hear what you have to
tell me about the case. Alex may have already told you that I'm not very
enthusiastic about traveling to Dallas for a trial."

"I'm
not an attorney, Harriett," Collins said casually, "but Alex believes
you might be able to get a...what did you call it, Alex?"

"A
change of venue," Alex said flatly as she settled in the chair to
Harriett's left.

"Right,"
Collins smiled. "You might be able to have the case transferred here to
Travis County."

An
Hispanic waiter poured coffee, and Harriett waited until he left before
resuming her conversation with Collins.

"Why
don't you tell me a little about the case," she said, stirring creamer
into her cup.

Collins
took a deep breath and looked briefly at Paige for support before speaking.

"It's
very difficult for me to talk about, Harriett. The whole thing seems so unreal.
My sister, Sharon, has been arrested for murder."

"Whom
is she accused of murdering?"

"The
police claim four people."

Harriett
turned her head slightly toward Alex, but her face revealed nothing.

"She
was arrested by Dallas police the day before yesterday. So far, our family
attorney has been representing her, but it's his opinion that she needs someone
with more criminal expertise to represent her. That's when I contacted Alex,
and she recommended you."

"What
charge did the grand jury hand down?"

"Murder,
first degree, times four," Alex said over the top of her coffee cup.

"Did
your sister allegedly kill all of these people at once?"

"No.
Apparently they were spread out over the last year and a half."

"Did
she have any relationship with them? Co-workers? Acquaintances?"

"Total
strangers. Three men and one woman."

"Do
you know what evidence the police have that indicates your sister is a
suspect?"

"They
have a weapon. It was found at her home and the police claim her fingerprints
are on it. According to our family attorney, they have some other evidence that
doesn't look good for her, either."

"Sounds
like a slam dunk for the prosecution. What exactly would you expect me to do
for your sister?"

Leaning
forward on his elbows, the look on Collins's face became more serious. "I
want you to make sure she receives whatever help she needs. If you knew Sharon,
you'd know she couldn't possibly have committed any of these crimes. Unless
she's lost her mind."